Friday, October 7, 2016

Friday Evening Dispatch

Today (07/30/2016) we went to Chickasaw Nation Cultural Center. Zac danced with the dancers during the Snake and Four Corners dances. That was pretty cool to see.

We are staying at the lodge at Lake Murray SP. I foolishly walked across an asphalt parking lot to go to the pool without shoes. While I did not complete my asphalt degree I do seem to recall from my course work that on a 100 degree day the black surface of asphalt pavement heats to about a billion degrees. Consequently, I have a blister across the ball of my right foot that is epic.

I need new sandals is one of the take aways of the previous thought.

I might be imbecilic might be another- but we won't talk about that.

The pool was not nearly as crowded as I anticipated.

The food here in the lodge is adequate. It keeps you from driving into town, makes you not hungry and is better than having a stick poked in your eye-but it is not great.

The marina here rents boats. About the only thing scarier than owning a boat would be renting one (which sounds terrifying to me).

There is a family here for a reunion that I am sure is from Weatherford. If I had a guess where I had seen them from I would approach the patriarch (who looks most familiar).

Man my feet hurt.

Last night before bed Zac came out of shower and said, Dad I saw a lizard. It went down the drain! I went and looked but saw nothing. Although he is a good observer and not prone to lying it would be easy to wonder, Did he see a piece of vaguely lizard looking lint or...? It is 0317 on 07/31/2016 and I am sitting in the parlor of the lodge with the night clerk as she takes her break. I awoke at this ungodly hour because when I turned in bed a book flipped off onto the floor startling me. I got up at this ungodly hour to pee. I am still up at this ungodly hour because I had to take the Mediterranean gecko which I caught in the shower outside.

She is watching Homicide Life On The Street.

The clerk I mean, not the gecko.

Last night we chatted with the maintenance guy who was holding a radio in his hand. Zac said, At first I thought it was a gun, then a knife. Then I realized it is just one of those walkie talkie things.

What a world we have created for our kids.

Zac asked if I could live here in the lodge. The answer would be sure but it would be better to be in the new one they are building right on the edge of the lake. This one is kinda beaten down.

The server at breakfast this morning was sweaty.

The 2 old guys at the table behind me are talking about Lyster bags which were bags used by the military to hold water. They resembled a duffle and were made of the same canvas material. They had spigots around the bottom that you drew water from. They would leak like mad until the material swelled- then they held pretty well. If your unit was squared away they would drop a block of ice in the bag for you. I can taste canvas as plain as day just hearing my elderly neighbors speak.

Today is 07/31/2016 and we are back at the Chickasaw Recreation Area. I am sitting beside an Indian guy from OKC at Little Niagara swimming hole. We have exchanged pleasantries, jibes and travel tips. Although I don't know his name I picture it being Tommy Redcloud and he is my only Indian friend. His girlfriend has an old English accent. No, I don't mean old as in Olde and before Middle English- just that she is from England and has been here long enough she has lost most of her accent. She also has a small black eye I presume Tommy gave her several days ago. She is pretty and he is what they used to call ruggedly handsome. They are madly in love.

Zac is talking to a woman who is covered in tattoos. She she just laughed at something he said and put her hand on his shoulder.

Somebody hollered, Snake! and everyone bailed out of the swimming hole like magic. It was a garter snake. I tried to catch him as other guys have stated their intention to kill him. I wanted to rescue him and Zac to be the one to carry him to safety. Mr. Snake was too wily and elusive for me though and slipped off into the nearby bushes. The kids surrounding the pool looked at me like I was crazy as I tried to catch him. They looked at me like I was insane when I said the snake would not hurt them and they could get back in. It took me diving into the water to get everybody back in.

It seems like the water would be too cold for a snake but I also seem to recall garter snakes being very cold tolerant- although I might be making that up.

The water smells mineral-ie and makes your skin feel super soft.

We moved to another pool. Zac spoke to 2 adult white guys for several minutes. As they left him one offered his hand and said, Well, it was good to meet you Zac. I'll see you later.